Signaling device.



UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908.

App1ication filed April 6, 1907. Serial No. 366,855.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SPENCER C. CART, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Signaling Device, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad signals which are operated electrically from a distance, and the objects of my improvement are to provide a danger signal which may be located at intervals along a railroad track, and operated from railroad stations or other convenient points, thus keeping trains between stations under-the control of the operator at all times. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the signal in operation; Fig. 2 is a detail view of the mechanism shown on support g; Figs. 3 and 4 are edge and side views of lever Z; and Fig. 5 is a side view of contact arm m.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The mechanism shown in Fig. 1 is designed to be inclosed in a suitable boX or cover for protection, the back part of which only appears attached to post k, for the purpose of illustration.

a is a signal flagwound upon a spring roller 6; d is a cord or wire or other suitable connecting medium attached to flag a; b is a bracket attached to the side of the support or protecting cover and having a pulley c at its extremity, over which the cord or wire at is passed and thence extended back and attached to the winding arm of an electric motor 9 is a support for the mechanism shown thereon, preferably made of slate or other good insulating material.

1) and r are electrom agnets attached to the support g, and acm and ra2 respectively the poles thereof.

v is a contact point in the motor circuit.

m is the armature of electromagnet r and a contact arm, pivoted to the support at z, the details of which are shown in Fig. 5,.in which a is a spring contact shoe, and s a coil spring attached to m, the end of which when adjusted in one of the notches of notched are t keeps the connecting piece a of contact arm I m in contact with contact point t; and n is a ring or eyelet on the end of contact arm m, through which the cord or wire d is threaded.

w is a neutral contact point.

Z is the armature of electromagnet p, and is a lever pivoted to the support at z, the details of which are shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which n is a forked piece pivoted to the upper end of Z, the fork n being provided with a shoulder which permits its movement on the pivot in one direction only.

0 is a spring which keeps the fork n normally in longitudinal relation to lever Z.

d is a knot or projection on the cord or wire d of such a size that it will not pass between the forks of n or through ring a.

y, y, y, and y are binding posts.

it is an electric signal light in electrical series with electromagnets p and r. The electromagnets p and r and the light h are arranged in series on one electric circuit, and the motor f is on an independent electric circuit.

The wiring shown is given as a preferable arrangement, although a different method may be used if found advantageous. The method of wiring as shown in 2 is as follows: A and B are the main wires of an electric circuit, terminating at one end at the signaling device and at the other end at the switch C, used for opening and closing the circuit. A is the incoming wire and B the outgoing or return wire. The electric cur rent carried by the incoming wire A is divided at D, forming two electric circuits passing through the device, the motor circuit and the electromagnet circuit. 1 and y are the binding posts for the motor circuit,

electromagnet circuit. The motor circuit is as follows: from D on the main wire A to binding post y, to contact point '2), through lever m to pivot z, .to binding post y, to motor to the main outgoing wire B at E. The electromagnet circuit is as follows: from the main incoming wire A at D to electric light h, to binding post 1/, to electromagnet p, to electromagnet r, to binding post y, to the main outgoing wire B at E. The motor circuit is opened and closed at contact point t by contact arm 12%. m is a post which stops contact arm m on contact point 12.

and y and y are the binding posts for the Having thus fully described the details of construction of my invention, the method of its operation is as follows: The mechanism is connected with a battery or other suitable source of electrical supply, and is actuated by the closing and opening of the electric circuit passing through the device, which may be done by a suitable switch at any convenient point removed from the signal. In its normal condition the signal flag is wound upon the roller, the lever Z is in the position shown by the views except the knot, which has passed beyond the lever; and the contact arm m is in the position shown by the dotted lines, making an electrical contact with contact point 1). This is the position assumed when the electric current is turned off. When the current is turned on, the motor f is actuated, which winds the cord (Z on the winding arm of the motor, drawing the cord (Z through fork n and ring a. When the knot (Z reaches the fork n, it engages the sides of the fork, pressing the fork back into the position shown by the dotted lines, and passes beyond and engages ring n, pulling .the contact arm m off of contact point 12 and against fork n as shown in Fi the poles of electromagnet r, where it is held by magnetic attraction, thus breaking the motor circuit and stoppingthe motor. The cord is then pulled back by the action of the spring roller until the knot d engages the b J and prevented from passing beyond by magnetic attraction of electromagnet p on lever Z and shoulder of fork n, thus extending the flag and holding it in that position.

When the current is turned off, the electromagnet r releases contact arm 'm, which is returned. over contact point e by spring 8, and the electromagnet y) releases'the lever Z, which assumes the position shown by the dotted lines, allowing the spring roller to pull knot cZ over lever Z, thus permitting the flag to be returned to its normal position by the action of the spring roller.

The signaling device above described may be used under various circumstances and adapted to different conditions where such a signal is required, but is principally designed, to be used as a block signal along railroad tracks, and operated manually from railroad stations, thus giving the operator control over trains between stations. Used in this manner, the slgnals are.1nstalled. at lntervals alongslde the rallroad tracks, and connected 'by electrical circuits with each other and the station, or may be operated as units or in groups as found most advantageous. Any ordinary circuit closing and opening device may be used in operating the signal, and this may be placed at stations or at any other convenient point where it is desired to have control over trains. The signal may also be used as an automatic block signal.

and is there held Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A device of the class described, consisting of a support, a spring roller vertically mounted thereon, a signal flag wound upon the roller, and electrical means for unwinding and holding the flag in an extended position, and for releasing and allowing the flag to be rewound upon the roller.

2. A device of the class described, consisting of a support, a spring roller vertically mounted thereon, a signal flag wound upon the roller,means for unwinding the flag,- consisting of an electric motor attached by a cord or wire to the flag, and electrically actuated means for holding the flag in an extended position and for releasing and allowing the flag to be rewound upon the roller.

3. A device of the class described, consisting of a support, a vertical spring roller mounted thereon, a signal flag wound upon the roller, and means for unwinding and holding theflag'extended, and for rewinding the flag upon the roller, actuated by the closing and opening of an electric circuit.

4. A device of the class described, consisting of a support, a spring roller vertically mountedthereon, a signal flag wound upon the roller, means for unwinding the flag, con sisting of an electric motor attached by a cord or wire to the flag, and means between the motor and roller for stopping the motor when the flag is extended, consisting of a contact point in the motor circuit at one end of an arc, an electro-magnet on an electric circuit'independent from the motor circuit at the other end of the arc and towards the motor, a contact arm pivoted at or near the center of the circle bounded by the arc and normally held in contact with thepoint by a spring, an eyelet in the end of the contact arm through which the cord or wire is threaded, and a knot in the cord or wire which engages the side of the eyelet, breaks the motor circuit, and pulls the contact arm against the electro-magnet when the flag is extended.

5. A device of the class described, consisting of a support, a spring roller vertically mounted thereon, a signal flag wound upon the roller, means for unwinding the flag consisting of an electric motor attached by a cord or wire to the flag, and for stopping the motor when the flag is extended, and means for holding the flag in an extended position and for releasing and allowing the flag to be rewound upon the roller, consisting of a support between the motor and roller, a lever arm pivoted thereto above its center of gravity, a pivoted fork on the upper end of the lever having a shoulder preventing motion on the pivot in the opposite direction from the motor, said fork being held in longitudinal relation to the lever by a spring; an electromagnet on an electric circuit independent from the motor circuit in electrical contact on the side next the roller with the lower end of the lever arm when in its normal vertical position; the said cord or wire running through the fork of the lever arm and having a knot which passes over and engages the sides of the fork when the motor is stopped and the flag is extended.

6. A device of the class described, consisting of a support, a spring roller vertically mounted thereon, a signal flag wound upon the roller, an electric motor attached by a cord or wire to the flag, a support between the motor and. roller containing on the side towards the motor a contact point in the motor circuit at one end of an arc, an electromagnet on an electric circuit independent from the motor circuit at the other end of the arc and towards the motor, a contact arm pivoted at or near the center of the circle bounded by the arc and normally held in contact with the point by a spring, an eyelet in the end of the contact arm through which the cord or wire is threaded, and a knot in the cord or wire which engages the side of the eyelet, breaks the motor circuit, and pulls the contact arm against the electromagnet when the motor is actuated and the flag is extended; a second electromagnet between the first magnet and the roller in series with the first magnet, a lever pivoted to the support above its center of gravity having when in its normal vertical position its lower end on the side towards the roller in electric contact with the magnet, and having on its upper end a pivoted fork with a shoulder preventing motion on the pivot in the op osite direction from the motor and held in ongitudinal relation to the lever by a spring, the said cord or wire running through the fork of the lever, and the said knot thereon engaging the sides of the fork after actuating the contact arm.

7. A device of the class described, consisting of a support, a spring roller vertically mounted thereon, a signal flag wound upon the roller, a bracket extending outwardly from the su port having at its extremity a pulley, an e ectric motor attached by a cord or wire to the flag, the said cord or wire passing out over the pulley and back to the flag; a support between the motor and roller containing on the side towards the motor a contact point in the motor circuit at one end of an arc, an electromagnet on an electric circuit independent from the motor circuit at the other end of the arc and towards the motor, a contact arm pivoted at or near thecenter of the circle bounded by the arc and normally held in contact with the point by a spring, an eyelet in the end of the contact arm through which the cord or wire is threaded, and a knot in the cord or wire which engages the side of the eyelet, breaks the motor circuit, and pulls the contact arm against the electromagnet when the motor is actuated and the flag is extended; a second electromagnet between the first magnet and the roller in series with the first magnet, a lever pivoted to the support above its center of gravity having when in its normal vertical position its lower end on the side towards the roller in electric contact with the magnet, and having on its upper end a pivoted fork with a shoulder preventing motion on the pivot in the opposite direction from the motor and held in longitudinal relation to the lever by a spring, the said cord or wire running through. the fork of the lever, and the said knot thereon engaging the sides of the fork after actuating the contact arm; and a signal light in series with the electromagnets.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SPENCER o. CART.

Witnesses E. R. ANTHONY, D. S. PRESCOTT. 

